Astrid McNally
Astrid McNally began her martial arts journey in 1999 at Melbourne Martial Arts, training in Kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Kyokushin Karate under Shihan George Kolovos. Over time, Kyokushin became her primary focus. After competing in her first full-contact tournament in New Zealand, she aimed to become a dedicated Kyokushin fighter and uchi dechi student.
After three years of rigorous training, she achieved 1st Dan rankings in Kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Kyokushin in 2002, earning the Victorian Middleweight Kickboxing title and competing in the World Karate Championships in Tokyo, where she placed second. Astrid also studied health & and fitness and has taught Kickboxing/Muay Thai.
Since 2005, she has trained at the Fighting Arts Fitness Centre under Shihan Maria Rich, achieving her Nidan (2nd Dan) in Kyokushin in 2018. After a 12-year break to focus on family, she returned to competition, winning her division and the Grand Championship at the Arnold Classic in 2018 and again in 2019. She also earned medals at the Sydney National Kyokushin Championships. Astrid continues to train and enhance her skills in Kyokushin Karate with her training towards her Sandan this year.